Govt has burdened people with rail fair hike: Prakash Karat

Vijayawada: Communist Party of India (Marxist) general secretary Prakash Karat on Friday said Narendra Modi-led government has failed to contain inflation and some of its recent decisions have burdened the common man.

"Already the government has put burden on common man by increasing the rail fares and we also expect a rise in diesel and LPG prices. The government has failed to contain inflation, particularly the prices of essential commodities,” Karat said.

Reduction of taxes and duties on petroleum products could lessen the burden of the people, he suggested.

Karat said he feared that the NDA government may cut short funds for the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA), the previous UPA government's flagship programme.

Referring to the recent remarks made by Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Tapas Paul for allegedly threatening to kill CPI-M workers, Karat regretted the failure of West Bengal police to take action against those who indulge in violence and instigate it.

"The Left parties' followers and supporters are under attack by the Trinamool leaders," he alleged.

Karat demanded that the West Bengal government should register criminal cases against Paul.

“The issue would be raised by CPM in the Parliament," he said.

Paul has been caught on tape exhorting his party workers to kill CPI (M) activists even as he himself asserted that he would gun down his rivals and let loose his boys to rape their women.

Notwithstanding the nationwide clamour for Paul's arrest and expulsion from Parliament, the Trinamool Congress has sought to end the matter with an apology which he tendered to his party and the media on Tuesday.